Jungle ki kali sadak par Mayank ki kali bike toofan ki tarah daud rahi thi. Saamne taaron se bhara aasman phaila tha aur beech mein chamakta hua gol chaand, jiski thandi roshni jungle ki shaakhaon aur patton par padkar rahasyamayi jhilmilahat phaila rahi thi. Hariyali ke beech pasra halka kohra scene ko aur darawana bana raha tha. Charon taraf jaanwaron ki aawazein—kabhi siyaar ki hahakaar, kabhi ullu ki bhayanak hooting—mano hawa ko aur bhari bana rahi thin.

Maya ne Abhyansh ko kaskar seene se chipkaya hua tha. Uska dil dhak-dhak karta hua aise dhadak raha tha mano kisi bhi pal bahar chhalak padega. Bike ki raftaar itni tez thi ki hawa uske baalon ko betahasha peechhe uda rahi thi. Uski aankhen darr se band ho rahi thin, baar-baar yeh khayal aa raha tha—“Itni raftaar mein… agar kuch hua toh mera bachcha…!”